This is a discussion on How do you handle the downswings? within the online poker forums, in the Learning Poker section; Personally I find it so frustrating when you walk into some bad beats at the start of your session and you go on a downswing

Personally I find it so frustrating when you walk into some bad beats at the start of your session and you go on a downswing that is fairly decent, It means that for the rest of your session you know your behind and your making up for the loss's if you are aiming to have a positive session of course.

Itís like I don't mind my bad beats here and there say I have a positive ROI for the session and my AA gets cracked by a JJ or something, itís not going to get me near tilt.

But going on a decent downswing at the start of a session really starts to take a psychological toll for the day, For example I went on a downswing 2 days ago, which I ended up returning to + ROI by some miracle but very barely, Then the next day I started off well, took some beats throughout the day but overall felt so confident throughout the day playing my game that I ended up having a huge ROI and crushed all day, then this morning the same thing occurs, a downswing at the start of my session, currently returning to near positive again.

How do you handle your downswings? Do you have any tips or tricks?, Particularly referring to the start of a session not so much in the overall, how do you recover faster to get your game back on track.

#2

16th May 2014, 11:06 PM

cotta777 [869]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

Brandy usually helps.
Failing that crack open the perno and open a can of whoop ass.

Only joking

(dont do this)

Firstly and foremost study the art of Zen for mindset.
Zen master temperament is perfect for poker.

#Lesson1 I'll give to you free for today

#1 In order to gain full potential of ones ability and performance they must first learn to separate Emotion from the mind.

In other words ''the run of cards are like the journey of life you must greet all with the same unity and focus on the higher importance - which is to overcome all obstacles with confidence, belief and persistance of your ability's peak = A-Game.

Play your A game....
Even if your eyes are bleeding and your wallet is empty

#3

17th May 2014, 7:06 PM

suby_rafael [1,039]

Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem,omaha

Try and take it as part and parcel of playing this game. You have to be strong mentally when you encounter such sessions. Tell yourself that it happens in poker and take consolation in the fact that you had the best hand or you played it better than your opponent. Try and inculcate long term thinking which might help in moving on from short term bad results.

#4

17th May 2014, 7:15 PM

DaReKa [265]

Online Poker at: Bovada

Game: NLHE Cash

re: Poker & How do you handle the downswings?

Punch a hole through your monitor. As a bonus, you won't have to worry about future downswings.

#5

17th May 2014, 7:18 PM

scorpion1367 [793]

Poker at: pokerstars

Game: all poker

Get pissed if you need to but take a short break if you feel pissed. when you feel the tilt subside resume playing your game and kick some azz......scorp

#6

17th May 2014, 7:27 PM

tmw360 [2]

Online Poker at: carbon

Game: holdem

when I hit a downswing I like to go back & watch replays of other poker tournaments or shows to see that, we are not the only ones that hit a trail of bad play or bad cards, suck outs etc...hang with it take a break , this to shall pass

#7

18th May 2014, 2:24 PM

Arjonius [3,167]

Losing a few hands is only a downswing if you define the term extremely loosely.

For me, one losing session or even a few in a row isn't enough to constitute a downswing either.

Part of how I handle downswings stems from how I define them. I don't have nearly as many to handle because I don't tell myself I'm having one every time a few hands go badly.

#8

18th May 2014, 3:15 PM

XXPXXP [4,638]

Online Poker at: ACR/BOL/IGN

Game: holdem

re: Poker & How do you handle the downswings?

Just ask one thing:
Do you feel yourself on tilt during the downswing.
If yes: stop play, quit as soon as you can.
If No: poker is a variance game, just ...play...

the problem is not downswing, but it is downswing brings tilt and makes you play poorly and makes your loss even bigger, and your loss makes you even bigger tilt
like snowball.